Chargers expect Austin Ekeler at minicamp

Austin Ekeler did not turn up for the Chargers’ initial OTA session Monday, though that is not exactly a surprise. The standout running back, as ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry notes) has made a recent habit of skipping voluntary workouts, but his offseason trade request does make this absence a bit more notable.

That said, the Chargers have long held the line they want Ekeler back this season. Unlike the murkier Dalvin Cook and Joe Mixon situations, Ekeler is firmly in the Bolts’ plans for 2023. Brandon Staley said Monday he expects the league’s two-time reigning touchdown leader to show for minicamp in June.

Players can be fined nearly $100K for not being at minicamp. While that is a drop in the bucket for a player with Ekeler’s earning history, minicamps do generally feature 100% attendance. A few players bucked this trend last year, and it will be interesting to see if Ekeler follows suit. The Chargers gave the seventh-year back permission to speak to teams regarding a trade in March, and the TD kingpin’s contract is out of step with his value.

Ekeler, who turned 28 last week, is attached to the four-year, $24.5M contract he signed in 2020. One season remains on that deal. The Chargers have not done especially well to acquire reliable Ekeler backups during his time as the team’s unquestioned lead back. The Bolts did not make a notable addition to their backfield this offseason, either, keeping Ekeler (38 TDs from 2021-22) a vital presence for the AFC’s Los Angeles franchise.

The Bolts gave their UDFA success story his extension shortly before letting Melvin Gordon walk in free agency in 2020. At the time, Ekeler had not been a true full-time presence in L.A. A 2015 first-round Chargers pick, Gordon served as the team’s primary back — save for a 2019 holdout — during his rookie contract. The Chargers did well to lock down Ekeler to a $6.13M-per-year deal, but that contract has plummeted to 13th at the position. Although Ekeler bizarrely has not made a Pro Bowl — his well-crafted 2022 ad campaign notwithstanding — he certainly has a case to be called a top-five running back due to his receiving contributions.

This year’s market did not treat backs well, due to the supply-and-demand issue caused by ball carriers’ diminishing status and the flood of starter-caliber players hitting free agency, but several have on extensions in the recent past. Seven eight-figure-per-year RB deals remain on teams’ books, and Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard received $10.1M franchise tags in March. Tepid Ekeler trade interest is believed to have emerged following his trade ask, which came after stalled extension talks. Teams have largely stocked their backfields for 2023.

The 2020 CBA effectively deterred training camp holdouts, upping fines to a non-waivable $50K per day (for players on non-rookie deals) once camp begins. Although Ekeler does not need to worry about the accrued-season component of the CBA’s language pertaining to training camp absences, he would risk losing considerable cash by staying away once camp begins. A “hold in” measure — an increasingly popular move for disgruntled players in 2020s — could become a consideration, should this stalemate continue into August. The Chargers would certainly miss Ekeler’s presence, with few backs capable of his performance level.

The Chargers have two $20M-per-year wide receivers (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams), and Justin Herbert is due a monster extension. Though, whopping Herbert cap numbers are unlikely to emerge until around Year 3 of his expected extension. As minicamp nears, however, Ekeler remains attached to a contract he has outplayed.